Margareta Bolli Soviet intelligence officer Date of Birth: 15.12.1919 Country: Switzerland

1. Radio transmissions and codenames
2. Arrest and trial
3. Life after the war

Soviet intelligence agent, Resistance member, radio operator of the Red Orchestra

Margareta Bolly was born on December 15, 1919, in Basel, Switzerland. She became involved in espionage during World War II, working as a Soviet intelligence agent and a member of the Resistance. Bolly's journey into the world of espionage began in October 1941 when she met Shandor Rado in a cafe in Bern, where she worked as a waitress. Rado advised her to learn French and become proficient in typing. Later, while living with her family in Lausanne, she met Alexander Fut, who taught her Morse code and how to operate a telegraph key. With her new skills, Bolly started working for Rado, earning 400 Swiss francs per month.

Radio transmissions and codenames

In September 1942, Bolly moved to Geneva, ready to carry out Rado's instructions, who she knew by the codename Albert. From October 1942 to March 1943, she received and transmitted encrypted messages from an apartment located at 8 Henri-Mussar Street. Rado had delivered a radio set to her through the Hamel couple. The apparatus was concealed in a phonograph. Bolly, using the pseudonym Rosa, transmitted the encoded messages from midnight until 1 or 3 times a week. Her salary increased to 600 francs per month, plus expenses and repair costs.

Arrest and trial

Around mid-1943, Bolly met Hans Peters, a hairstylist and provocateur agent who worked for the third department of the German counterintelligence agency, Abwehr. She revealed to Peters the name of the book used for encryption, titled "Everything Started in September". On October 13, 1943, Bolly was arrested along with Peters, as a decoy. However, she stated that she was working for Rado, believing that she was fighting against Nazism. During her trial, Bolly was defended by Jacques Chammarel, an attorney from Lausanne. The Swiss military tribunal sentenced her to 9 months of imprisonment and a fine of 500 Swiss francs. Otto Punter paid her bail, and she was released.

Life after the war

In September 1947, Bolly moved to Rome with her husband, Arthur Schatz, a businessman. They eventually settled in Basel in 1956.